Written by JHabs, AllHabs.net
MONTREAL, QC. — What makes a good NHL player great? Is it his drive, passion and hunger to be the best? Or is it his consistency, and leadership? Filip Forsberg possess all these intangibles that are both rare and highly sought after, and perhaps one day, these qualities will help him to be a great player in the NHL.
Dominant is a word you will often hear when conversing about Forsberg. He is being touted as the “next big thing” to come out of Sweden, and with good reason as he has made a name for himself at every level of competition. Forsberg (no relation to former Swedish superstar Peter Forsberg), was born in Ostervala, Sweden, and has been soaring through the draft ranks, currently projected to be chosen in the top five.
Forsberg has been referred to as a power forward, due to his six foot two, one hundred and eighty pound frame. However with the way he plays the game it’s been suggested by few scouts that he plays more of a complete style, and is more of a two-way forward who loves to initiate contact.
The young Swede takes pride in his offensive game — he said in an interview with Hockey’s Future “I think my greatest strength is my offense – I have great shots, and I also can play the puck to my teammates.”
Forsberg is a team-first player, and will do what it takes to win, whether it’s unleashing his ferocious shot, or attempting to get the puck to his teammates. Forsberg also has the ability to reach his top speed with haste, making him an ideal puck carrier to blaze by defenders. He has also seen time killing penalties both in the Ivan Hlinka U18 tournament, and on his team Allsvenskan, of the Swedish Elite League.
Many scouts rave about Forsberg’s energy level and consistency. Some people criticize him for not producing many points in the Swedish Elite League but it should be noted that Forsberg is seventeen years of age, playing in a men’s league. It’s an impressive feat that often goes unmentioned.
Forsberg’s game does not come without its concerns — he will have to become more aware of his teammates, as he will often shoot, when the passing option was the smarter decision. Forsberg will also have to fill out his frame, putting on muscle to make him much more effective for his crash and bang style of play. While Forsberg’s skills are all of above average quality, it is the popular belief of many scouts that he does not possess a skill that can be considered “elite.” The young Swede still has room for significant improvement, but he has the work ethic necessary to excel.
Forsberg is a young man with a very bright future, possessing all the tools to reach NHL stardom, and while many scouts are not convinced that he has the necessary skills to become a superstar, it can be said that if the player has the drive, passion and hunger to be the best, he can develop to be one of the most dangerous and effective players in the NHL.
I like Forsberg and I prefer him to Collberg but he doesn’t fill the need for Montreal, because he’s a winger. That’s too bad. I really liked his U20 tournament in Calgary. I think he could be a good fit in Carolina/Toronto. Great post.
I think Forsberg is exactly the type of player Montreal needs.
After MaxPac, Montreal’s best LW option is Rene Bourque. Even if you go down the list of prospects, it’s slim pickings.
Barring a Zach Parise miracle, Forsberg is a great fit that can help Montreal like Landeskog has helped Colorado this year.
I know Montreal fans want that big centre, but that player isnt available this year. Unless one of Desharnais, Plex, or Eller moves, the centre position is pretty much accounted for in the foreseeable future…
I’m confused, in this video here (http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/#clip646359), Craig Button is saying that Forsberg is a centre. I wonder if he play both positions?
With all due respect to Craig Button I’ve never seen,or heard Forsberg play a center role. The closest I’ve heard of is him taking 1-2 faceoffs in a game for strategic reasons, but Forsberg is a winger.
It is possible that he was mistaken as there are two centers that could go in the top five, or perhaps he was misinformed.
Make no mistake though, even as a Winger Forsberg is a hell of a player.
Here’s a video of Forsberg http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-hGI030D774
You are right, it seems like he is playing on the wing in those highlights. I really hope the habs draft this guy, you can see in that video that he has great hands and great manoeuvrability. Everything that I have read about him seems to paint a picture of a tough character player with great skill, I don’t see how the habs can pass on him if he is available at 3. He is the type of player that every team wants in the playoffs.
The article says Forsberg played as a 17 year old in the Swedish Elite League (SuperElit). He barely played in the Swedish Elite League and spent more time in the second league (Allsvenskan), so his 17 points in 43 games is unimpressive. He had a good under 18 though. I don’t see us picking a guy with limited potential, despite how hard he works.
I don’t believe in limited potential, no one went up to Forsberg, put a cap on his head and said “You will never be better than this” Work Ethic, Desire,etc… has alot to do with how a player develops, its impossible to say who or how good a player will be before hes even drafted.
If Galchenyuk was off the board I’d have no problems with Montreal picking Forsberg.
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